Early Map showing Parliament Court, Artillery, off Bishopsgate Street.

The locations of the Tower of London Liberties. The Old Artillery Ground was granted to the Tower by James II. It appears at the top left of this image.

The 1700's map (above) shows the Artillery Ground (50) and Spitalfields (52)

This map (1720) gives more detail than the one above - the basic layout of the streets and houses remains unchanged. The extension of Petticoat Lane that is probably the souther part of the modern Sandy's Row is already built up.

This plan was published in John Strype's 1755 annotated edition of Stowe's 'Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster'. The plan is in four sections. The title appears along the top, with a bird's-eye view of the Tower of London, scale bar and reference tables in the main section on the left of the plate. The compass star features in the middle, with small plans of Marine Square, Little Minories and 'Spittle Fields' on the right of the plate. The word "liberties" in the title refers to the area around the Tower under its independent jurisdiction. Until 1686, the liberties of the Tower were restricted to the area within its walls and the land on Tower Hill. Three territories were added by James II's charter of 1686: the Minories, the Artillery Ground and the Wellclose.

The alley now known as Parliament Court is called "French Alley". It also appears in several directories of London street names from this period, with "Artillery" noted next to it, as there was more than one 'French Alley' in London.

French Alley gets a gruesome mention in 'The London Chronicle' of 1810, (Volume 107):


"Yesterday Sarah Puryer underwent a final examination, being charged with the wilful murder of 

John Purves, her husband, a mat-maker, in French-alley, Shore- ditch, by striking him over the 

head, with a wooden mallet, while he lay in bed"


In Strype's map from the same time period, this alley is not shown: The map on the right is from 1772, and is obviously based heavily on Strype's map. What is now called Sandy's Row is simply shown here as an extension of Petticoat Lane. There is no evidence of 'French Alley' on the map.

The map above (1795) is the first to show 'Sandy Square' but it isn't in the same location as our Sandy's Row, but it still exists (nameless) as an open section of ground at the top of Middlesex Street. It is slated to be turned back into a small square in the new Bishopsgate Plan. The map below (1801) seems to be derived from the one above. Sandy's Row is not names here, but appears to lead off to the north of Sandy's Square, beginning at Frying Pan Alley, as it does today. A structure is marked as a dark square, corresponding to the location of the Eglise de l'Artillerie/ Sandy's Row Synagogue. This is also present on the 1795 map above.

 

The above map of 1767 is rather confused in its street plan, especially around the intersections of Widegate, Artillery and Petticoat Lane. The map below (1799) is more precise.

The map above (1799) clearly shows the Eglise de l'Artillerie, with its entrance on 'Parliament Court',or 'French Alley'.
This is the most accurate street map of the area I have found, until modern maps appear in the early 1900's.


In this 1799 Map, Sandy's Row is called 'Hog Lane'.

Here is a detail view of the plan of the Eglise de l'Artillerie: 

The other church marked on Old Artillery Lane was adapted for use as a synagogue in 1896 and remained in use until 1948. The congregation was then incorporated with the Ezras Chaim Synagogue . It still has the wrought iron gates at each door which I love. The building now houses offices and is called Dome House.

Here is a view of the interior:

Plan of the Artillery Lane Synagogue: